Posted October 12, 2005

►October 17, 2005 - The Race Against Avian Flu - Public-health officials have been sounding the alarms, and now Washington has caught the bug. Meanwhile, scientists search for a vaccine. - Newsweek via MSNBC

►October 12, 2005 - Fortresses against flu - opinion - New York Times via International Herald Tribune

* ►October 12, 2005 - Virologists tell West to divert flu shots to Asia - New York Times via International Herald Tribune

* ►October 12, 2005 - Fight avian flu among birds first, UN expert urges - International Herald Tribune

* ►October 12, 2005 - Roche faces pressure over bird flu medicine - The New York Times via International Herald Tribune

* ►October 11, 2005 - The End of the HIV Vaccine - (requires registration or subscription) - The Commentator

* ►October 11, 2005 - Liverpool scientists in bird flu breakthrough - Liverpool Daily Post - "Clinical trials will begin within weeks on a Liverpool-produced vaccine for the deadly bird flu virus which it is feared could kill millions of people worldwide. Experts at the Chiron plant, in Speke, have spent several months working on a vaccine for the H5N1 avian flu virus."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Vical DNA Vaccine Technology Enters Phase 2 Clinical Trial for HIV - Vical Incorporated via PRNewswire-FirstCall via http://interestalert.com - "The trial involves priming an immune response with multiple doses of a plasmid DNA vaccine, based on Vical's proprietary DNA delivery technology, and boosting the response with a single dose of adenoviral vector vaccine given at a later date."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Half of Children in West Africa Are Vaccinated Against Killer Diseases - Unicef - Vanguard (Lagos) via http://allafrica.com

* ►October 11, 2005 - An epidemic of overreaction (requires registration or subscription) - By Marc Siegel, MARC SIEGEL is an internist and associate professor at the New York University School of Medicine. He is the author of "False Alarm: The Truth about the Epidemic of Fear" (Wiley, 2005). - Los Angeles Times - "Unfortunately, public health alarms are sounded too often and too soon. SARS was broadcast as a new global killer to which we had zero immunity, and yet it petered out long before it killed a single person in the United States. SARS was something to be taken seriously, but the real lessons of SARS, smallpox, West Nile virus, anthrax and mad cow disease weren't learned by our leaders — that potential health threats are more effectively examined in the laboratory than at a news conference."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Pandemic Fears: US to cooperate on bird-flu vaccine - The Nation - "The US will reveal the progress of vaccine trials in the near future and is willing to share the information with Thailand and other interested nations. CDC director Dr Julie Louise Gerbering insisted there had been no significant signs of change to the virus that makes it easy to spread from human to human. She also played down the significance of reports of resistance to the antiviral drug, oseltamivir."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Avian flu pandemic very likely, warns health secretary "We are responding in a robust way," he says. - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

* ►October 11, 2005 - What would a modern quarantine look like? Bush comments spark debate about nation's plan to battle pandemic - AP via Kings County Journal - "States have the primary legal authority to enact quarantines during outbreaks within their borders. Federal quarantine authority involves preventing infectious diseases from entering the country and stopping interstate spread. Expanding that authority to encompass a military role might entail legislation, something lawmakers' staffs have begun mulling as public health experts downplay the need."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Practices: No Shots, No Service? A Pediatrician's Quandary (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

* ►October 11, 2005 - Fully Human Anti-Anthrax Antibody Enlists Immune System to Neutralize Anthrax Toxin in Preclinical Studies - New preclinical study findings presented at Infectious Diseases Society of America annual meeting - PRNewswire-FirstCall

* ►October 11, 2005 - Nobel Came After Years of Battling the System - The New York Times via The Gainesville Sun - "The opposition we got from the drug industry was basically inertia," said Dr. Barry J. Marshall of the University of Western Australia, the other Nobel winner, and "because the makers of H2 blockers funded much of the ulcer research at the time, all they had to do was ignore the Helicobacter discovery." "If the drug companies were truly into discovery, they would have gone straight after the Helicobacter," Dr. Marshall said, but they did not because of the success with H2 blockers."

* ►October 11, 2005 - New SIDS Policy Recommends Pacifiers - AP via Health Yahoo! - "Babies should be offered pacifiers at bedtime, and they should sleep in their parents' room — but not in their beds — in order to lessen the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, the nation's largest group of pediatricians says."

►October 11, 2005 - Human Genome Sciences Awarded Contract for Anthrax Drug - PharmExec Direct

►October 11, 2005 - Airlines on Guard for Bird Flu - Chicago Tribune via www.newsgleaner.com

►October 11, 2005 - Pressure Rises on Producer of a Flu Drug (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►October 11, 2005 - Canada's project to fight new infectious diseases comes to Viet Nam - www.vnagency.com.vn

►October 11, 2005 - Oregon gets first case of the flu - AP via The Oregonian via www.oregonlive.com

►October 11, 2005 - Romania culls birds in flu scare - Romania is culling thousands of farmyard birds in the Danube delta amid fears of an avian flu outbreak. - BBC

►October 11, 2005 - Congo fever: authorities remain on high alert - www.int.iol.co.za

►October 11, 2005 - Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee (update) - FDA/CBER

►October 11, 2005 - Children Often More Contaminated Than Their Mothers, New WWF Report Shows - Beyond Pesticides

►October 11, 2005 - Kid Power - Let's use it to fight the flu. - Slate via MSN - "The 60,000 deaths in the United States from ordinary flu each year are reason enough to consider changing the country's approach to flu vaccination."

►October 11, 2005 - Controlling neglected tropical diseases could help make poverty history -  "The big three" infections AIDS, TB and malaria have caught the world’s attention but other disabling and fatal infectious diseases in Africa are being ignored, say three eminent tropical disease researchers in the international health journal PLoS Medicine. - Public Library of Science via www.innovations-report.com

►October 11, 2005 - How Common Drugs Compare on Safety in Pregnancy (requires registration or subscription) - The Washington Post

* ►October 11, 2005 - Update 2-Wyeth smallpox vaccine to carry heart warning--US - Reuters - "Wyeth's smallpox vaccine will come with a new 'black-box warning' about cardiac problems that have occurred after immunization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday...A black-box warning is the strongest type of warning for prescription drugs and vaccines in the United States."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Parent Group and 11-Year-Old Child Escorted From American Academy of Pediatrics Convention - "We have the freedom of speech, but not the freedom to be heard," says one parent after being thrown out of conference in DC - press release - National Autism Association via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

* ►October 11, 2005 - AAP: Vaccine Researchers Preach to Pediatrician Choir - MedPage Today - "Vaccine-safety researchers picked a friendly crowd to pronounce that there is no scientific evidence linking thimerosal-containing vaccines or the mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccine with autism or autoimmune disorders...In a plenary session at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting here, they emphasized the word 'scientific.' There's plenty of evidence to go around, they noted, but little if any of the evidence linking childhood vaccinations to autism or other conditions stands up to scientific scrutiny."

* ►October 11, 2005 - On the Bookshelf: A shot against vaccine critics - U. S. News & World Report - "People today think they have some inalienable right to compensation if things go wrong. That's new. It wasn't my parents' attitude. And it's not how medicine works. You learn things the hard way in medicine, when things do go wrong. And medicine evolves, and you fix them. But people no longer accept that."

►October 11, 2005 - Standing Orders Do Not Improve Immunization Rates: Presented at AAFP - Doctor's Guide

►October 11, 2005 - Doctors Fight Parents Hesitant Over Kids' Vaccines - www.thewbalchannel.com

* ►October 11, 2005 - Dallas County prepares to buy bird flu vaccine (requires registration) - www.wfaa.com - "Dallas County today said it will be ready to buy more than two million doses of vaccine for the bird flu when one becomes available."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Patience Zero: Influenza as Population Control - It's been a year since we first reported on deadly manufactured flu virii, and sure enough, here comes martial law and quarantine zones. - The Simon

►October 11, 2005 - Avian flu vaccine against H5N1 strain to be tested on humans next year after promising tests on birds, Vietnam - Medical News Today

►October 11, 2005 - Flu vaccine shortage not expected - Seattle Times

►October 11, 2005 - Flu vaccines still sparse in Wyoming - AP via Wyoming Tribune-Eagle via The Casper Star Tribune

►October 11, 2005 - UN Seeks to Speed Up Bird Flu Vaccine - AP via ABC News

►October 11, 2005 - Bird flu vaccine may be too late for pandemic-expert - Reuters AlertNet

►October 11, 2005 - Your Tots Are Making You Sick (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post

►October 11, 2005 - Bird Flu Case Appears in Colombia - Zaman Online

►October 11, 2005 - Businesses need to do continuity planning for flu pandemic, report suggests - CP via CBC

►October 11, 2005 - Exclusive: County Reviewing Bird Flu Quarantine Procedures - www.klastv.com

►October 11, 2005 - Two Ukraine regions introduce bird flu quarantine - Itar-Tass

►October 11, 2005 - UN seeks $272 mln for quake, toll may exceed Bam - Reuters AlertNet

* ►October 11, 2005 - Earthquake Destroyed About 1,000 Hospitals in Pakistan: WHO - Scout News LLC via www.14wfie.com - "The WHO also said there's an urgent need for measles vaccines for children, as well as clean water and sanitation."

* ►October 11, 2005 - UN Children's Fund Appeals for $4 Million for Children in Northern Kenya - UN News Service (New York) via http://allafrica.com

►October 11, 2005 - UNICEF successfully vaccinates 1.3 million Bangladeshi children against measles - UN News Centre

►October 11, 2005 - Senegal: Yellow fever epidemic confirmed in interior - IRIN via Reuters AlertNet

►October 11, 2005 - Mumps rise sparks vaccination drive - The Press Association via The Scotsman

►October 11, 2005 - Most travelers do not need hepatitis booster - Clinical Infectious Diseases via Reuters

►October 11, 2005 - £9.6m food allergy study begins - A study into why people are allergic to peanuts, and not their close relative peas, could help improve the quality of food allergy tests, scientists believe. - BBC

►October 11, 2005 - HIV/AIDS Could Reduce Life Expectancy in South Africa to 46 Years, Researchers Say - www.kaisernetwork.org

►October 11, 2005 - HIV Thins Regions of the Brain - HealthDay via Forbes

►October 11, 2005 - Roche HIV collaboration helps developing world - Roche Molecular Systems and Primagen today entered talks to form a collaboration that develops dry filter spot technology for HIV-1 viral load testing in the developing world. - www.drugresearcher.com

►October 11, 2005 - Third Wave files patent lawsuits - BusinessWeek

* ►October 10, 2005 - Shingles possible from pox vaccine - Monterey Herald - "It's the first time whereby a 'shingles vaccination' is now needed to offset a 'chickenpox vaccination,' resulting in a continuous treatment cycle," said researcher Gary Goldman. But while using a shingles vaccine to control a shingles epidemic would be a cash cow for drug companies, it would likely fail from a public health perspective because adult vaccination programs are notoriously unsuccessful."

* ►October 10, 2005 - County shoots to pull off mass vaccination - The Public Health Department aims to fight the flu and also practice in case of a future emergency. - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

* ►October 10, 2005 - Pharmacists given a shot - Vaccinations part of growing job description - Pittsburgh Business Times via Nashville Business Journals

►October 10, 2005 - U.S. Revises Flu Emergency Plan - Wall Street Journal via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►October 10, 2005 - Hungary Health Min: Ample Bird Flu Vaccine In Store - Dow Jones Newswires via www.thebusinessonline.com

►October 10, 2005 - Michigan prepares for influenza season, including bird flu - AP via www.tkb.org

►October 10, 2005 - Asthma Foundation Launches National 'Flu Shot Finder' - PRNewswire via www.wthr.com

►October 10, 2005 - Israel plans emergency response to avian flu - www.haaretz.com

►October 10, 2005 - Okinawa Navy hospital officials: Avian flu plan in place - Stars and Stripes

►October 10, 2005 - Bird flu has poultry workers concerned - AP via www.news14charlotte.com

►October 10, 2005 - Avian Flu: Inoculate Your Portfolio - If the worst happens -- a global outbreak -- it could hit travel and leisure industries but boost gold, Treasuries, and some drug stocks - BusinessWeek

►October 10, 2005 - Cape starts to plan for bird flu - Cape Cod Times

►October 10, 2005 - Toxin exposure may cause rise in asthma - UPI via ScienceDaily

►October 10, 2005 - FDA Awards Contracts on Databases of Adverse Effects of Marketed Drugs Ability to Monitor Approved Drugs Enhanced - FDA via Medical News Today

►October 10, 2005 - French Immunologist Addresses Physicians and Scientists at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles - Dr. Alain Fischer Spoke on Severe Combined Immunodeficiencies in the Saban Distinguished Lecturer Series - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles via Primezone

►October 10, 2005 - Hope for fixing birth defects (requires registration or subscription) - New technique uses custom-made tissue grown from unborn child's own fetal cells - The Globe And Mail

►October 10, 2005 - Diabetes major risk to the unborn - Babies born to women with diabetes are nearly five times as likely to be stillborn, a major study shows. - BBC

►October 10, 2005 - Doctors in Pennsylvania Dutch Country Find New Genetic Links to Half Dozen Diseases in Past Year - Microarray-Based SNP Analysis Provides Researchers with Faster, Cheaper and More Definitive Method to Identify and Diagnose Genetic Disorders - Affymetrix via Business Wire

►October 10, 2005 - Stem Cell Research's Reversal of Fortune - Why restricting federal funding may have been good for embryonic stem cell research - The Scientist

►October 10, 2005 - Battling Evolution to Fight Antibiotic Resistance - The Scientist - "Fresh approaches could aid existing drugs"

►October 10, 2005 - Why We Need Institutional Repositories - The Scientist

►October 10, 2005 - What's New This Week - New/Updated Guideline Summaries - www.guideline.gov

►October 10, 2005 - Cancer Misdiagnosed in 12% of Cases: Study - HealthDay News via Health Yahoo!

►October 10, 2005 - Health Highlights: - Test Vaccine Helps Prolong Life of Skin Cancer Patients: Study - SUVs Should Carry Warnings About Danger to Pedestrians: Report - Another Manufacturer Warns of Defibrillator Problems - India Encephalitis Death Toll Now at 1,038 - Politics Trumping Science in 'Plan B' Decision: Ex-FDA Consultant - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay via www.hon.ch

* ►October 9, 2005 - Expert expects sweeping changes in vaccine market - The Times-Tribune - "In addition, the government initiatives that have been in place for quite some time seem to be backed much more by the government trying to broaden how many people are actually getting a flu vaccine — beyond special categories of patients who are higher risks and the elderly. The government wants to broaden it to the general public. And they’re contributing to that greater uptake by making this year the first year they put in incentives for physicians — increasing their administration fee. So every time they give a shot, they’re getting more dollars in remuneration, which helps to make sure it’s a worthwhile activity for them in their office-based practices."

* ►October 9, 2005 - Family’s experience sparked activism (requires registration or subscription) - The Kansas City Star - "Lujene Clark said that before getting the flu vaccine, “this child walked on time, talked on time, met all his developmental milestones — even exceeded them.” But afterward, “it was like we were in ‘The Twilight Zone.’ We watched our child slip away from us virtually before our very eyes.”

* ►October 9, 2005 - User beware: FDA approval doesn't guarantee safety - The Baltimore Sun via The Oakland Tribune - "Serious problems frequently don't appear until a drug is used by hundreds of thousands — or even millions — of customers. "That's why many people, myself included, try to be prudent about using a product when it's first approved," said Stephen Goldman, an independent consultant who from 1995 to 1999 was medical director of the FDA's MedWatch program, which collects reports of serious adverse events."

►October 9, 2005 - Feds Prepare for Super - Flu Disaster (requires registration or subscription) - AP via The New York Times

►October 9, 2005 - Scientists pinpoint inflammation gene - Discovery has implications for wide range of diseases - Medical College of Wisconsin via www.eurekalert.org

►October 9, 2005 - 'Near-term' unease grows - USA Today

►October 9, 2005 - Another Manufacturer Warns of Defibrillator Problems - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay via www.lifeclinic.com

* ►October 9, 2005 - More research urged into effects of inorganic mercury (requires registration or subscription) - Kansas City Star - "Boyd Haley, a University of Kentucky biochemist, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health to make compounds called 'photoaffinity probes' that are used to study neurological diseases...'It was a major scientific accomplishment, and they’re used all over the world today,' Haley said. 'Our biggest customer is the National Institutes of Health.'...But Haley noted that it was 'only when I started using these probes to show that mercury was toxic that I lost my NIH grant, which I had for 27 years.'"

* ►October 9, 2005 - Cervical cancer vaccine boosts hope in city - New York Daily News - "But Dennis Chi, a gynecologic oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, and others were cautious about endorsing Merck, currently embroiled in several lawsuits related to its withdrawn arthritis drug, Vioxx...'I do believe it's the same company that made Vioxx so we need to make sure we know what the long-term effects of this vaccine would be,' Chi added."

►October 9, 2005 - Vaccine supply concerns mount as flu season arrives - Health officials say plenty of vaccine will be on hand, but public isn't taking any chances. - Bridgewater Courier News

* ►October 9, 2005 - Prevention trumps preschooler vaccination - letter - Kennebec Journal via MaineToday.com

►October 9, 2005 - CSL play down a bird flu pandemic profit (requires registration or subscription) - www.theage.com.au

►October 8, 2005 - West Nile Saga Far From Over - Expert urges long-term strategy - Contra Costa Times via Monterey Herald

►October 8, 2005 - Parents break bank on autistic kids' therapy - The Weekend Australian

* ►October 7, 2005 - Callisto Pharmaceuticals Announces Collaboration with the Institute of Hepatitis Viral Research to Pave the Way to Development of Next-Generation Bio-Warfare Vaccines - Business Wire via www.pharmalive.com

* ►October 7, 2005 - Shinn Capital Group, Inc., Seeks Subpoenas of Test Results for Tubercin, an Anti-Cancer and HIV/AIDS Immunostimulant - Business Wire via www.pharmalive.com

►October 7, 2005 - Donor's Organs Are Linked to West Nile (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►October 7, 2005 - Country views boost exercise gains - Farms should be seen as national health resource, says gym study. - news (Nature)

►October 7, 2005 - Scientists dangle bait for screenwriters - Film summit puts a spotlight on untold stories from the lab. - news (Nature)

►October 7, 2005 - Study: Failure of Initial Antibiotic Therapy Leads to Higher Mortality Rates, Increased Costs - PRNewswire via www.pharmalive.com

►October 7, 2005 - HDMA Calls for Federal Licensure of Nation's Healthcare Distributors - Uniform Standards Needed to Further Secure Rx Supply Chain and Enhance Patient Safety - Healthcare Distribution Management Association via www.pharmalive.com

►October 7, 2005 - St. Jude Warns About Background Radiation - AP via Forbes

►October 7, 2005 - Chiropractors Lead the Way in Speeding Recovery From Back Pain - Active Wellbeing via PharmiWeb

►October 7, 2005 - New 'wonder tissue' may combat colds - Daily Mail Online via PharmiWeb

* ►October 6, 2005 - Thousands of chemicals headed for further testing - Compromise position angers industry, pleases animal-rights activists. - news (Nature)

* ►October 6, 2005 - Most nuclear systemic autoantigens are extremely disordered proteins: implications for the etiology of systemic autoimmunity (pdf) - journal article (Arthritis Research & Therapy)

►October 6, 2005 - Clinical trials in Argentina - There is considerable pharmaceutical industry involvement in clinical research in Argentina. the country represents a major Latin American market and has one of the region's most advanced healthcare systems. - PharmiWeb

* ►October 1, 2005 - Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Rhesus D - journal article (Obstetrics & Gynecology)

* ►October 2005 - Lead Exposure in Children: Prevention, Detection, and Management - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►October 2005 - Early Life Stress and Depression Childhood trauma may lead to neurobiologically unique mood disorders (full text) - Adults with a history of child abuse or neglect may respond differently than other depressed patients to the usual treatments. - journal article (Current Psychiatry)

►October 2005 - Intentional Injury Management and Prevention in Pediatric Practice: Results From 1998 and 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics Periodic Surveys - journal article (Pediatrics)

►October 2005 - Pediatric Closed Head Injuries Treated in an Observation Unit. - journal article (Pediatric Emergency Care)

►October 2005 - Biphasic anaphylactic reactions. - journal article (Annals of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology)

►October 2005 - The Serotonergic Hypothesis for Depression in Parkinson's Disease: an Experimental Approach - journal article (Neuropsychopharmacology)

►September/October 2005 - How Do Family Physicians Provide Anticipatory Guidance during Well-Child Visits? - journal article (The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice)

►September 30, 2005 - B lymphocyte depletion therapy in children with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus - journal article (Arthritis & Rheumatism)

* ►September 2005 - Pre-event Willingness to Receive Smallpox Vaccine Among Physicians and Public Safety Personnel. - journal article (Southern Medical Journal) - "Absence of contraindications was associated with physicians' willingness to be vaccinated (P = 0.006). Many physicians (66%) and most public safety personnel (88%) considered themselves inadequately informed on smallpox vaccine. In a multivariate analysis, inadequately informed respondents were more likely to be undecided (OR = 2.23, CI = 1.39 to 3.56)."

►September 2005 - Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia: prevention and management. - journal article (American Family Physician)

* ►2005 - Medicine Cabinet: Flu Season Fandango - Choosing between flu shots and alternative remedies can dance you in circles. Here are the pros and cons of each. - Alternative Medicine - "If you're debating whether to get a flu shot, consider the advice of Sherri Tenpenny, DO, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio: Become informed about the specific substances being delivered through the needle, she warns."

Posted October 11, 2005

►October 11, 2005 - US Taking Steps to Meet Demand for Flu Vaccine (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "Dr. Charles M. Helms, chief of staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, said he planned an aggressive campaign this year to immunize much of his own staff, since national surveys showed that just 38 percent of health care workers were immunized against the flu each year...Dr. Helms said he hoped that widespread worry about a pandemic flu would increase immunization rates against seasonal flu."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Avian Flu Vaccine Offers Hope Coupled With Questions - HealthDay via Forbes

►October 11, 2005 - Bird flu vaccine could take months, UN says - Reuters AlertNet

* ►October 11, 2005 - Viet Nam makes progress in testing H5N1 vaccines on humans - Viet Nam News Agency

* ►October 11, 2005 - Study: No vaccine, autism tie - Researcher says data does not support it - News Wire Services via Rocky Mountain News - "A University of Missouri-Columbia researcher is now adding her own evidence to the debate over the link between immunizations and autism in children, concluding there is no connection."

* ►October 11, 2005 - NIAID launches first Phase II trial of a 'global' HIV/AIDS vaccine - NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases via www.eurekalert.org - "A novel vaccine targeted to multiple HIV subtypes found worldwide has moved into the second phase of clinical testing, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today. The study investigators plan to enroll a total of 480 participants at sites in Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbean to test the safety and immune response to the vaccine."

* ►October 11, 2005 - Vical says HIV vaccine advances to midstage trial - Reuters

* ►October 11, 2005 - Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Initiates Phase II Testing of an HIV Vaccine Developed in Collaboration with GenVec - Genetic Engineering News

►October 11, 2005 - The End of the HIV Vaccine - The Commentator

►October 11, 2005 - Polio drive set for new phase - Gulf Daily News

►October 11, 2005 - At Risk: A Warning That Babies Shouldn't Sleep on Sides (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

* ►October 10, 2005 - New guidelines for babies push cribs, ban teddy bears - Detroit Free Press

* ►October 10, 2005 - Pacifiers reduce sudden infant deaths, study finds - Reuters AlertNet

* ►October 10, 2005 - Vaccines, drugs no answer to birdflu, experts say - Reuters - "Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert who has been studying the risk of pandemic flu for decades and is a U.S. government adviser, said governments should be preparing to cope with the pandemic instead of relying entirely on the hope of using vaccines and drugs to control it."

* ►October 10, 2005 - US's Leavitt Urges Nations to Increase Flu Vaccines (Update1) - Bloomberg - "Still, vaccine stockpiles may not be the answer. The treatment wont be effective if the strain that eventually transmits between humans differs from H5N1, or if the disease becomes resistant to the vaccine. Some resistance had emerged in one patient, Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said today...The virus has already 'evolved in subtle ways' since the strain used to develop the trial vaccine was taken, she told reporters. 'What we haven't seen yet is re-assortment where avian flu exchanges genes with one of the seasonal flu viruses that is very efficiently transmitted in people, so that's the good news.'"

* ►October 10, 2005 - Will there be enough? - Gary Post-Tribune - "And while the FDA gave Chiron approval to reopen its plant in August, the company has yet to receive approval on a vaccine this year. Some reports indicate the company has yet to provide a product sample to the FDA for approval...Chiron did not return calls seeking comment by the end of the day Friday."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Flu season rears ugly head again  - Experts suggest vaccinations, cleaning hands more often - The Herald-Dispatch

* ►October 10, 2005 - America 'faces worst disaster in its history' - The Times, UK - "One of the most controversial parts of the plan addresses who should be given the vaccines first. The military and National Guard are not mentioned."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Immunisation plans may falter - The Times, UK - "If the H5N1 vaccine has to contain four times as much antigen, these factories would be capable of making enough to cover only 75 million people. To get round this British researchers want to add adjuvants, which irritate the human immune system so that it responds positively to lower concentrations of flu antigen...They also plan to investigate whether it might be possible to prime the immune system now with an H5N1 vaccine, so that a lower dose could be given later to reinforce immunity."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Britain is blamed for vaccine delay as bird flu comes closer - The Government is stalling over financial support for research on improving available protection - The Times, UK

* ►October 10, 2005 - MD: Avian flu must mutate for it to sicken humans - Multiple mutations foster guesswork about possible pandemic - A physician monitoring the threat of avian influenza says a key question is whether the strain of bird flu in Asia has mutated into a flu that could result in a human pandemic. - CNN International

* ►October 10, 2005 - Envisioning a 21st-Century Quarantine - Quarantine in a 21st-Century Flu Pandemic Would Look Very Different From the Medieval Stereotype - AP via ABC News

►October 10, 2005 - Localities need a quarantine plan, too - editorial - Washington Examiner

►October 10, 2005 - US Health Chief Leavitt Visits Asia to Discuss Bird Flu Virus - Bloomberg

►October 10, 2005 - Expert help sought on bird flu - Brisbane Courier-Mail

►October 10, 2005 - Editorial: Military should not be used to fight flu - (requires registration or subscription) - Vero Beach Press-Journal

►October 10, 2005 - Who's first to get flu? Preschoolers (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times

►October 10,  2005 - A better shot - A year after an unprecedented shortage of flu vaccine, expanded production and better methods of making shots are providing reason for optimism - Boston Globe

►October 10, 2005 - Status of bird flu in Europe - Reuters AlertNet

* ►October 10, 2005 - Corruption sparks bird-flu vaccine test - AFP via Sunday Times, Australia - "Government auditors suspect local companies assigned to make the vaccine produced doses of inferior quality to inflate profits, with the collusion of some ministry officials."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Six suspected bird flu patients test negative; to be discharge - Jakarta Post

* ►October 10, 2005 - Another person infected with bird flu in Indonesia - People's Daily Online

* ►October 10, 2005 - Flu experts warn of dangers of other avian viruses - Reuters AlertNet

* ►October 10, 2005 - Dog flu cases exaggerated, vets find - USA Today

* ►October 10, 2005 - Reports of 'doggie flu' spreading - Newsday

* ►October 10, 2005 - Information on suspicion of Avian Influenza in Romania and Turkey - press release - European Union via Harold Doan and Associates

►October 10, 2005 - VIRA 38 Fraction (v38 AMF-1) Inhibits Bird Flu Virus (H5N1) Infections by Blocking Viral Attachment - press release - PRB Pharmaceuticals via PRNewswire

►October 10, 2005 - Immune Boosting Drug May Help Prevent Bird Flu Pandemic - ImmuneRegen Officials Looking to Increase Avian Flu Outbreak Preparedness Efforts - press release - ImmuneRegen BioSciences via PRNewswire-FirstCall

►October 10, 2005 - EU bans Turkey bird imports as Turks battle avian flu - Reuters

►October 10, 2005 - What you should know about bird flu - The president is talking about quarantines. Others talk of millions dead. But what's the real threat? - St. Petersburg Times

►October 10, 2005 - Bird Flu: Mass Slaughter of Poultry Birds Begins in Turkey - AKI via www.adnki.com

►October 10, 2005 - Europe scrambles with bird-flu precautions - UPI via ScienceDaily

►October 10, 2005 - Outbreaks near EU could herald flu's approach - International Herald Tribune

►October 10, 2005 - Michigan prepares for influenza season, but worries about bird flu - AP via  www.wlns.com

►October 10, 2005 - Avian influenza -- situation in Indonesia -- update 33 - World Health Organization

►October 10, 2005 - Flu season predicted to be mild, but plenty of vaccine expected - Jackson Sun

►October 10, 2005 - Flu pandemic could hit state - editorial - Montgomery Advertiser

►October 10, 2005 - Year's flu vaccine supply on target - Gainesville Sun

►October 10, 2005 - Vaccines should be easier to find - Monticello Herald Journal - "The price has increased, because now what we’re paying is $104 for a 10-dose vial, where last year, it was $83. So we have to increase our cost to $15 a dose."

►October 10, 2005 - Health Department Says More Flu Vaccine Available - The Chattanoogan

►October 10, 2005 - Bronson Steps Up Avian Influenza Surveillance Program - www.cattlenetwork.com

►October 10, 2005 - Doctor urges caution on flu vaccine (requires registration or subscription) - News Sentinel via www.knoxnews.com

►October 10, 2005 - County shoots to pull off mass vaccination - The Public Health Department aims to fight the flu and also practice in case of a future emergency. - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

* ►October 10, 2005 - IDSA: Pneumonia Shot Succeeds With Five-Vaccine Combo for Kids - MedPage Today - "Giving children a pneumococcal vaccine along with a combo vaccine for five other childhood diseases was found safe and effective for both vaccines, according to a study reported here."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Crucell N.V.: Merck and Co., Inc. Exercises Option on PER.C6 License for Adenovirus-based Vaccine Against Hepatitis C - press release - Crucell N.V. via PrimeZone

* ►October 10, 2005 - Amsterdam shares higher midday as US futures point to positive Wall St open - AFX via Forbes - "Crucell continued leading the pack, rising 7.53 pct to 24.85 after Merck extended the agreement to use the company's PER.C6 technology to develop Hepatitis C vaccines."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Crucell leaps after Merck deal on hepatitis vaccine - Reuters

* ►October 10, 2005 - Scientists create GM mosquitoes to fight malaria and save thousands of lives - Plan to breed and sterilise millions of male insects - Leader says project almost ready for testing in wild - The Guardian, UK

►October 10, 2005 - When her son was diagnosed, a Queens mother founded a center to help other afflicted kids, too - Newsday

►October 10, 2005 - Autism expert starts MIND speaker series - Daily Democrat - "The UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute will host Rebecca Landa, professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, on Wednesday starting at 4 p.m. The program will be held at the UCD M.I.N.D. Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento, Landa is the first speaker in its fourth annual Distinguished Lecturer Series."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Sadly, recent column on autism was way off the mark - letter - The Free Lance-Star - "In his column ['Of autism and vaccines: It's time to debunk the mercury myths,' Sept. 25], Dr. Paul Offit seems to feel that mercury injected into little babies is perfectly safe, but the statistics and new scientific research say otherwise."

►October 10, 2005 - One way to unravel the riddle of autism - Evening News via The Scotsman

►October 10, 2005 - Some Doctors Drop Families That Refuse Immunizations For Children - AP via www.ksdk.com

►October 10, 2005 - Doctors' bioterrorism responses tested (requires registration or subscription) - HealthDay via Star-Telegram via www.dfw.com

►October 10, 2005 - Company Touts Tailor-Made Cancer Vaccine - Company Says Tailor-Made Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise in Small Segment of Patients - AP via ABC News - "Antigenics Inc.'s announcement was made before the stock markets opened and the New York-based company's share price rose 57 cents, or 11 percent, to $5.58 in late afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market."

►October 10, 2005 - AVAX Technologies Announces the Launch of M-Vax For the Treatment of Patients With Stage III & IV Melanoma in Switzerland; Pro Vaccine AG Commences Commercial Launch in Switzerland - Genetic Engineering News

►October 10, 2005 - Agensys Signs Collaborative Research and License Agreement With sanofi pasteur - Genetic Engineering News

►October 10, 2005 - Advaxis' Vaccine Candidate to Treat Existing Cervical Cancer - Genetic Engineering News

►October 10, 2005 - MorphoSys Starts Multiple Antibody Programs with Schering AG - Biotech Intelligence

►October 10, 2005 - Scigen share price doubles (requires registration or subscription) - www.theage.com.au

* ►October 10, 2005 - Vaccine isn't the answer - comment - The Times, UK

►October 10, 2005 - South Asia massive and urgent health needs: thousands of injured people require immediate help - WHO

►October 10, 2005 - Anthrax outbreak in southwest Kyrgyzstan - 9 hospitalized - RIA Novosti

►October 10, 2005 - UNICEF to step up Burma measles program - www.mizzima.com

►October 10, 2005 - Bangladesh Measles Campaign reaches 98 per cent of targeted children - press release - UNICEF via Harold Doan and Associates

* ►October 10, 2005 - Liberia: Massive measles vaccination campaign targets 35 million children under-15 - IRIN via Reuters AlertNet - "'Reaching every child 9 months to 15 years will be essential to ensuring measles deaths are reduced to zero. We cannot afford to leave one child un-immunised,' Health Minister Eyitayo Lambo was quoted as saying in the statement."

* ►October 10, 2005 - Bazezeru resist immunization - Republic of Botswana via www.gov.bw - "Since the start of the campaign, which was launched by health minister Sheila Tlou in Molepolole on October 3, a majority of Bazezuru were reluctant to take their children for immunization."

►October 10, 2005 - China province hit by cholera outbreak - Reuters AlertNet

►October 10, 2005 - Kentucky Woman Dies From West Nile Virus - www.wkyt.com

►October 10, 2005 - 63 people hospitalized with suspected Hepatitis A in Central Russia - RIA Novosti

►October 10, 2005 - Deadly virus blamed on fungi offspring (requires registration or subscription) - The Globe and Mail - "A paper published yesterday in the journal Nature argues that the severe new strain -- cryptococcus gattii -- is the result of sexual reproduction between two types of a similar species of fungi, despite the fact that both were of the same sex."

►October 10, 2005 - SA bodies get slice of Bush plan to fight HIV - Independent Online

►October 10, 2005 - Zimbabwe HIV infection rate drops - There has been a drop in the level of HIV/Aids infections in Zimbabwe, one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to record such a decline. - BBC

►October 10, 2005 - HIV results in 20 minutes - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

►October 10, 2005 - Resurrecting 1918 Flu Virus Took Many Turns (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post
 
►October 10, 2005 - Flu shot campaign starts; no shortage seen - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via www.jsonline.com

►October 9, 2005 - Indonesia outbreak sparks polio vaccination offensive - Viet Nam News

►October 9, 2005 - Expert expects sweeping changes in vaccine market - Scranton Times-Tribune via www.zwire.com

►October 9, 2005 - Researchers Study Plague In Santa Fe County, Eldorado - AP via www.thenewmexicochannel.com

►October 9, 2005 - Pollution boosts immunity against asthma: Doc - Chandigarh Newsline via http://cities.expressindia.com

* ►October 9, 2005 - Controversy over vitamin jab for autism - Sunday Herald - "A controversial vitamin injection claimed to help autistic children recover is to be promoted in Scotland by its American developer...Dr James Neubrander, who will discuss the injection at a conference on autism in Edin burgh this week, has a private clinic in New Jersey where he says he has given more than 75,000 shots of methyl cobalamin B12 since May 2002, with, he claims, 94% of children showing improvement."

►October 9, 2005 - Biological warfare against cancer - This week, we share insights on biological therapies for cancer. - Malaysia Star

►October 9, 2005 - Update: Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus in Asia  - By Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine - Community Dispatch

►October 9, 2005 - Doctor: US not ready to handle flu pandemic - Hospitals must stockpile drugs, prepare for the worst, he says (requires registration or subscription) - Dallas Morning News

►October 9, 2005 - Romania culls birds, says flu could be weaker strain - Reuters AlertNet

►October 9, 2005 - Vaccine failure could lead to flu pandemic - The Observer via The Guardian, UK

►October 9, 2005 - Flu Plan Leaves Many Decisions at Local Level - U.S. Preparedness Draft Also Calls for Unprecedented Cooperation, Expert Says (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post

►October 9, 2005 - Lessons from the 1918 Flu - Panic broke out. Doctors were kidnapped. Patients starved. Could it happen now? - TIME Magazine

►October 9, 2005 - How Scared Should We Be? - Scared enough to take action. Haunted by Katrina, Washington scrambles to prepare for a much deadlier kind of natural disaster - TIME Magazine

►October 9, 2005 - Avian influenza and the US - If a virulent strain of avian influenza ever struck the U.S. poultry industry, this country probably would fare better than many other nations due to careful biosecurity procedures in force. - www.news-medical.net

►October 9, 2005 - WHO Watching for Human-to-Human Transmission of Bird Flu Virus - Voice of America

►October 9, 2005 - Avian Flu Under the Microscope - Here's key information about the potentially deadly disease that has governments and scientists on high alert, since it may spread around the globe - BusinessWeek

►October 9, 2005 - Fighting the flu: To get a shot or not - Summit Daily News

►October 9, 2005 - Flu Plan Leaves Many Decisions at Local Level - U.S. Preparedness Draft Also Calls for Unprecedented Cooperation, Expert Says (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post

►October 9, 2005 - West Nile Virus Infections in Organ Transplant Recipients --- New York and Pennsylvania, August--September, 2005 - CDC/MMWR via Community Dispatch

►October 9, 2005 - Fargo labs leaders in biolife sciences research - AP via In-Forum - "Research labs here have scientists working to create an HIV vaccine, test thousands of generic drugs and build laser-driven DNA screening devices."

►October 9, 2005 - Experts Seek to Debunk Baby Food Myths - AP via Herald-Sun

►October 8, 2005 - Child Polio Close to Being Wiped Out - Yemen Observer

►October 8, 2005 - Bush Plan Shows U.S. Is Not Ready for Deadly Flu (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times
 
►October 8, 2005 - Cells from amniotic fluid used to tissue-engineer a new trachea - Pediatric surgeon looks to fetal cells to repair birth defects - Children's Hospital Boston via www.eurekalert.org
 
►October 8, 2005 - Parents break bank on kids' therapy - The Australian via Brisbane Courier-Mail

* ►October 8, 2005 - Ample supply of flu vaccine expected at Europe bases - Stars & Stripes - "These vaccines for the 'regular' flu should not be confused with Department of Defense efforts to prepare for a possible outbreak of the so-called avian flu...The DOD is stockpiling vaccine to combat the avian flu and amassing antiviral drugs, according to a Thursday DOD release. So far, it has about 200,000 doses of vaccine against one avian flu strain, and is mass producing it."

►October 8, 2005 - Bird flu fight lifts biotech stocks (requires registration or subscription) - Reuters via Washington Post

►October 8, 2005 - Poultry workers join priority list for flu shots - London Free Press via www.canoe.ca

* ►October 8, 2005 - Mercury fillings prompt protest - About 30 people demonstrated at the dental convention, which ends tomorrow in Center City. (requires registration or subscription) - Philadelphia Inquirer via www.philly.com - "Members of the Pennsylvanian Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry held signs saying, 'The ADA needs a cleaning' and 'Silver fillings = 50% mercury.' They blamed the mercury in fillings for several diseases and later had victims telling their stories at a news conference in City Council chambers in City Hall."

►October 7, 2005 - Report focuses on challenges to unlocking future promise of vaccines - American Society for Microbiology via www.eurekalert.org

►October 7, 2005 - Antivirals, Vaccines Key to Fighting Bird Flu - PhRMA via PharmaLive

►October 7, 2005 - Flu Shots For Pregnant Women - Expectant Moms More At Risk, Doctor Says - www.nbc6.net

►October 7, 2005 - IDSA: Wall Street Methods Used to Predict Flu Outbreaks - MedPage Today - "Using Wall Street traders' techniques, healthcare workers predicted flu outbreaks two weeks before the actual events, according to a pilot study."

►October 7, 2005 - The Flu Vaccine: What You Need To Know - www.thepittsburghchannel.com

►October 7, 2005 - Romania reports first bird flu case in Danube delta - Reuters via AlertNet

►October 7, 2005 - Moxico: Campaign Vaccinates 154,000 Children Against Polio - AngolaPress

►October 7, 2005 - Talk of Bird Flu Pandemic Revives Interest in Passed-Over Drugs (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times
 
►October 7, 205 - Antibody to a naturally-occurring sugar chain in colon inhibits inflammatory bowel disease - Ensemble of usual sugars offers clues to controlling inflammation - Burnham Institute via www.eurekalert.org
 
►October 7, 2005 - Solicitation of Public Review and Comment on Research Protocol:
Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonist Test in Disorders of Puberty - Federal Register Online via GPO Access
 
►October 7, 2005 - Report focuses on challenges to unlocking future promise of vaccines - American Society for Microbiology via www.eurekalert.org
 
►October 7, 2005 - Gold nanoparticles show potential for noninvasive cancer treatment - University of California - San Francisco via www.eurekalert.org
 
►October 6, 2005 - Defeating the 'superpests' - Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council via www.eurekalert.org
 
►October 6, 2005 - Opening wide for new clues about lupus - University of Rochester Medical Center via www.eurekalert.org
 
►October 6, 2005 - Stroke patients with mild symptoms may still need clot-dissolving drug - MGH study finds lack of treatment in eligible patients raises risk of death and disability - Massachusetts General Hospital via www.eurekalert.org

* ►October 6, 2005 - Labs not storing anthrax and resistant TB properly, study finds - The Japan Times

Posted October 10, 2005

►October 9, 2005 - GP who gave MMR warning faces sack - The Telegraph, UK - "A doctor who has spoken of the possible dangers of children receiving the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and other vaccinations has been charged with serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council...Dr Jayne Donegan, 47, is being disciplined over her decision to give expert court testimony on the issue. Her situation echoes the plight of Dr Andrew Wakefield, the gastro-enterologist forced to resign after his evidence linking the MMR jab to autism in children angered the government, drug industry and medical establishment."

* ►October 9, 2005 - What was mercury doing in vaccines in the first place? - A group of parents and their supporters say the mercury is responsible for their children's autism. Government agencies say no such connection can be made. (requires registration) - Providence Journal via www.projo.com - "'Clinging to the notion that mercury is somehow related to autism, it's my belief and the belief of the American Academy of Pediatrics that they're barking up the wrong tree,' said Dr. Julia McMillan, a professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore...But said Boyd Haley, chemistry professor and a heavy-metals expert at the University of Kentucky, 'The parents are correct on this. The parents are the heroes....'The people who say there is no causal link are going to be humiliated,' he said."

* ►October 9, 2005 - Cervical cancer vaccine has huge potential: CSL chief  - transcript - Inside Business via www.abc.net.au - "We get a royalty stream from Merck and we also have, very importantly, the Australian and New Zealand marketing rights and we think they are very valuable and we think they are very important product here for Australia. So, if the market is as big as some are projecting, $3 billion, $3.5 billion, then, sure, it's very valuable to us. Could it be worth $100 or $200 million royalty a year, income a year? It's possible."

►October 9, 2005 - Fingers crossed on meningococcal - Tasmania has not recorded any cases of the preventable strain of meningococcal disease this year and looks set to remain disease-free as the most likely period to catch the infection passes. - Tasmania Examiner

* ►October 9, 2005 - Bad drugs, not bird flu, killed chickens - Inquirer News Service via http://news.inq7.net - "Local animal experts yesterday declared the Philippines was still free of the deadly bird flu virus that has ravaged other Southeast Asian countries after tests taken on 50 dead chickens on a farm near Calumpit, Bulacan, yielded negative results."

* ►October 9, 2005 - First bird flu cases reported in Europe - The Times, UK - "The most deadly strain of avian flu is feared to have spread to Europe for the first time, infecting birds in Turkey and Romania this weekend."

►October 9, 2005 - Scientist says US flu drug stockpiles inadequate - Reuters AlertNet

►October 9, 2005 - NZ lobbies to secure birdflu supplies - http://tvnz.co.nz

►October 9, 2005 - Danger of Flu Pandemic Is Clear, if Not Present (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►October 9, 2005 - The Front Lines in the Battle Against Avian Flu Are Running Short of Money (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►October 9, 2005 - Bush's risky flu pandemic plan - op-ed - Boston Globe

►October 9, 2005 - Phila. Health Dept. Administers 2,000 Flu Shots on Opening Day - KYW News Radio 1060

* ►October 9, 2005 - Mall is seeing brisk business in flu shots - Metro West Daily News - "A lot of people ask us about that bird virus," said Diane Oakes, a nurse who was giving out shots. "But we don't deal with that."

* ►October 9, 2005 - U.S. delegation heads to Asia on bird flu - The China Post

►October 9, 2005 - Myanmar -- the world's bird flu black hole? - Reuters

►October 9, 2005 - Selected Highlights Beginning Sunday, October 9, American Academy of Pediatrics' National Conference and Exhibition in Washington, DC - American Academy of Pediatrics via www.quote.com

►October 9, 2005 - Biological warfare against cancer - This week, we share insights on biological therapies for cancer. - http://thestar.com.my

►October 9, 2005 - Study looks at effects of stress on immunity - Distress disorders may make many susceptible to mold, dust, other allergens - The Clarion Ledger

* ►October 9, 2005 - Does danger lurk in that vaccine? - Childhood immunizations no longer contain mercury. Flu shots do. But as you take your children for theirs, you have a choice.Mercury-free pediatric flu vaccine is available but may be hard to find (requires registration or subscription) - Kansas City Star - "“I think it’s absolutely criminal to give mercury to an infant,” said Boyd Haley, an expert on mercury toxicity and a vocal critic of the CDC...As the debate continues, the company that makes most flu vaccines says there is a waiting list this year for health agencies that want vaccines that contain mercury. Meanwhile, the company is scaling back production of its mercury-free vaccine, The Kansas City Star has learned."

* ►October 9, 2005 - Startling rise in autism stirs questions about the cause (requires registration or subscription) - Kansas City Star

* ►October 8, 2005 - Time for flu shot; don't fear pandemic (opinion) - Burlington Free Press- "Bush even went so far as to suggest that military troops might be used to enforce quarantines in the event of a widespread bird flu epidemic. Not only does that suggestion seem inappropriate -- the federal military is not the best unit to respond to a civilian health crisis -- it is overly alarmist. It is prudent for federal and state governments and health departments to thoughtfully plan for a potential pandemic. But it is just as important that Vermonters not become unduly concerned in the face of this effort and publicity."

* ►October 8, 2005 - Audit reveals graft in Indonesia's bird flu vaccine supply - The Weekend Australian - "These vaccine producers intentionally lowered the vaccine quality in order to gain more profit from the contract value," Baharuddin was quoted as saying by the Post after submitting the audit report to the Attorney-General's Office yesterday."

* ►October 8, 2005 - Schools to get free flu vaccine - Palm Beach Post - "County emergency medical technicians, working with school nurses and health department doctors, will administer the anti-flu nasal spray to children 5 and older who have signed parental consent forms. Immunizations will begin Nov. 1, the traditional start of the flu season, and end Nov. 18. Teachers and other school employees also may elect to receive the free immunizations."

* ►October 8, 2005 - Cancer vaccine shows promise, but questions remain - The Journal News - "Still, he said vaccines that have come out in the past several years have been met with increasing resistance from parents because of the fear of side effects. "I think that's a general trend where people are tending to question vaccines much more," he said."

* ►October 8, 2005 - Suffer little children - While infant mortality has halved in the past 20 years, several emerging health problems could threaten the quality and length of our children's lives. Clara Pirani reports - The Weekend Australian

►October 8, 2005 - Strategy key to battling outbreaks of West Nile (requires registration or subscription) - Contra Costa Times

►October 8, 2005 - Psychiatric Drugs' Use Drops for Children (requires registration or subscription) - Suicide Warnings Raise Bigger Fears On Testing Process - The Washington Post

►October 8, 2005 - Increasingly, judges decide what science—if any—a jury hears - Science News - "Some judges, Berger notes, "find all animal studies irrelevant"; others allow animal results in conjunction with findings on people. Many judges—but not all—throw out test-tube studies and analyses of chemical structures to gauge the activity of related compounds."

►October 8, 2005 - Lack of initial antibiotics, more deaths - UPI

►October 8, 2005 - From the October 5, 1935, issue - Science News

►October 8, 2005 - Health Highlights: - Another Manufacturer Warns of Defibrillator Problems - Legionnaire's Disease Most Likely Cause of Canada Nursing Home Deaths - Politics Trumping Science in 'Plan B' Decision: Ex-FDA Consultant - Lab Tests Confirm E. Coli in Prepackaged Lettuce - More Americans Are Becoming Active: CDC - Illinois Gov. Proposes Universal Child Health Insurance - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay via www.hon.ch

* ►October 8, 2005 - Landmark sequencing project makes predicting flu into realm of the possible - Canadian Press via www.canada.com

* ►October 8, 2005 - US Ill Prepared for Massive Flu Outbreak: Report - HealthDay via Forbes - "The United States is unprepared for a global flu pandemic, according to a draft of a federal report, which predicts a worst-case scenario that could lead to the deaths of 1.9 million Americans and the hospitalization of 8.5 million more people with costs exceeding $450 billion."

* ►October 8, 2005 - Bush, Executives Consider Strategies to Ramp Up Vaccine Production - Spurred by Concern About Avian Flu, Officials Focus on Capacity to Fight Possible Pandemic - Washington Post - "'The issue is: How do we build a sustainable capacity so we're not always in crisis mode,' Fauci said...To accomplish that, he said, liability issues must be addressed. Currently, federal vaccine liability protections apply only to routine childhood vaccines...Also key will be issues of profitability, since the domestic market for ordinary flu vaccines is currently too small to attract companies beholden to shareholders...One way to get over the profit hurdle, Fauci said, is to create policies and a 'national ethic' in which greater numbers of people take advantage of the benefits of getting vaccinated against flu annually. In the short term, that would protect more people each winter, he said, and in the longer term it would keep the industry healthy and primed for an emergency."

►October 8, 2005 - Makers of vaccines sit down with Bush - Concerns aired over possible global bird flu pandemic - San Francisco Chronicle

►October 8, 2005 - Forgotten drugs resurrected amid flu fears - The New York Times via International Herald Tribune

* ►October 8, 2005 - Bush Plan Shows US Is Not Ready for Deadly Flu (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "A plan developed by the Bush administration to deal with any possible outbreak of pandemic flu shows that the United States is woefully unprepared for what could become the worst disaster in the nation's history."

* ►October 8, 2005 - Report: Plan shows U.S. not ready for flu crisis - Draft says any Asia outbreak could hit U.S. within weeks or months - Reuters via MSNBC

►October 8, 2005 - Chronology - Key dates in Asian bird flu outbreak - Reuters AlertNet

►October 8, 2005 - Replication of 1918 avian flu virus shows promise for future - By Anthony S. Fauci and Julie L. Gerberding - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via www.jsonline.com

►October 8, 2005 - Countries support expanding cooperation in fighting bird flu - China View via Xinhuanet

►October 8, 2005 - White House Puts Rush on Bird Flu Vaccine - All Headline News

►October 8, 2005 - Romania and Turkey report new bird flu outbreaks - Reuters, UK

►October 8, 2005 - Flu vaccine stockpiles look healthy - Fears of shortage few, but officials plan for worst - The Journal Gazette via www.fortwayne.com

►October 8, 2005 - Massive vaccination of Haj pilgrims in UP from Nov. 10 - www.newkerala.com

* ►October 8, 2005 - Three Organ Transplant Recipients Infected with West Nile Virus – Two Remain in Comas - www.newsinferno.com

►October 8, 2005 - Meningitis vaccine may have link to neurological disorder - Officials investigating; 5 cases reported among teens in U.S. (requires registration) - Dallas Morning News

►October 8, 2005 - Reporter at work after battling meningitis (requires registration or subscription) - AP via Kansas City Star - "Marso contracted the disease when he was just weeks from graduating at the top of his journalism class at the University of Kansas. Toxins the disease released in his body destroyed skin tissue and forced doctors to amputate parts of his feet and all his toes and fingers, except his right thumb."

►October 8, 2005 - Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody Production Is More Profitable Than Small Molecule Drugs - Medindia

►October 8, 2005 - Children's commissioner to lobby for breastfeeding - Times of Malta

* ►October 7, 2005 - Scientists resurrect virus that killed 50 million - Any biologist with expertise could recreate the microbe - Guardian Newspapers via The Hindu - "But other researchers warned on Wednesday the that virus could escape from the laboratory...Publication of the work and the filing of the virus's genetic make-up to an online database followed an emergency meeting last week by the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, which concluded that the benefits of publishing the work outweighed the risks. Many scientists remained skeptical. 'Once the genetic sequence is publicly available, there's a risk that any molecular biologist with sufficient knowledge could recreate this virus,' said Dr. John Wood of the Institute for Biological Standards in Potters Bar, U.K."

* ►October 7, 2005 - Nations to Work Together to Limit Flu Risk (requires registration or subscription) - AP via Washington Post - "Executives were concerned about greater protection from litigation. If healthy people suffer side effects from a vaccine, manufacturers can face huge lawsuits, Leavitt said...'We're going to have to deal with the indemnity issue," he said. "Also, if we're to build additional capacity with the speed necessary for readiness, we're going to have to create a streamlined regulatory process for the development of new facilities.'"

►October 7, 2005 - Military Stockpiles Vaccine, Antiviral Drugs Just In Case - www.kwtx.com

►October 7, 2005 - State officials: There'll be no shortage of flu shots this year - AP via The News Tribune via Seattle Post Intelligencer

►October 7, 2005 - Can flu guru do the job? Critics question his credentials - Boston Herald

►October 7, 2005 - In 1918, too, humans got virus from birds - Mutant strain: Findings confirm birds flu worries - The Indian Express

►October 7, 2005 - Web sales of bird flu drug spark counterfeit fears - Reuters UK

►October 7, 2005 - Annan wants bird flu solidarity - AFP via The Australian

►October 7, 2005 - Health Department runs out of flu vaccine, cancels clinic - Washington Daily News

►October 7, 2005 - Influenza Pandemic, Could Something Have Been Done? (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post

►October 7, 2005 - Hong Kong's 'Gold Standard' Measures Can't Stop Flu, WHO Says - Bloomberg

►October 7, 2005 - WHO warns India on influenza - In a serious development for India, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday warned that millions could perish in an influenza pandemic in Southeast Asia. “When this happens, human casualties could be in the order of millions and severe economic losses would result,” says WHO’s Southeast Asia Director Samlee Plianbangchang. - The Guardian via India Monitor

* ►October 7, 2005 - An end to cervical cancer? - Vaccine, given in three shots, is shown 100 percent effective against the viruses that cause malignancy - Newsday

* ►October 7, 2005 - Vaccine Appears to Prevent Cervical Cancer - www.news10.net - "Skidmore says Merck is testing the vaccine in girls and boys as young as 9. The FDA will decide whether it should be sold for use in preteens, she says."

* ►October 7, 2005 - New cancer vaccine will end routine smear tests - The Times, UK - "Gardasil, a genetically engineered vaccine, blocks infection by two of the hundred-plus types of human papilloma virus, HPV 16 and 18. Between them these two sexually transmitted viruses cause about 65 per cent of cervical cancers around the world, Professor Stanley said."

* ►October 7, 2005 - Vaccine offering '100% protection' against cervical cancer virus on way - The Scotsman

►October 7, 2005 - Autistic children study - Orlando Sentinel - "The University of Florida is looking for autistic children with persistent gastrointestinal problems to participate in a research study on medical treatment for the GI dysfunction."

* ►October 7, 2005 - Dying man 'crawled on floor' to get NHS advice - The Times, UK - "Steven Wiseman had been told days before by the out-of-hours telephone service that he had a 'bad dose of the flu' for which there was no cure and had been advised to take paracetamol and ibuprofen...As his condition worsened, his partner, Kerry Robertson, was told by NHS24 to keep giving him painkillers. She was later advised to wait until his own doctor’s surgery opened to call for medical treatment."

►October 7, 2005 - Hepatitis A outbreak continues in Nizhny Novgorod - RIA Novosti

►October 7, 2005 - Vaccine truths: Adults need their shots too - Times of India

►October 7, 2005 - Donated organs had West Nile virus - Seattle Times

►October 7, 2005 - Harrowing testimony heard at Dr Javed's trial - Daily Times, Pakistan

►October 7, 2005 - Refusing immunizations may leave kids doctorless (requires registration or subscription) - Knight Ridder via Contra Costa Times

►October 7, 2005 - A family thrives in the shadow of autism - In ‘Making Peace with Autism,’ Susan Senator describes her life as a mother raising an autistic child, and offers advice. Read an excerpt - MSNBC

►October 7, 2005 - Aids on the decline as 93 pc test HIV negative - The Standard

►October 7, 2005 - New HIV treatments show promise - Maturation inhibitors, depression drug among current developments - Southern Voice

►October 7, 2005 - Influenza virus can hit Asia soon: WHO - GEO

* ►October 7, 2005 - Warning shot - www.townhall.com - "For far too long, doctors have been outsourcing their decisions to the Centers for Disease Control, which recommends that children get some 20 inoculations in their first 18 months. Still, New York’s mistake was useful, because it highlights the fact that neither lawmakers in Albany nor bureaucrats in Atlanta should be deciding what medical treatment our children will receive. Medical decisions about what shots to get, and when, should be made by parents and doctors."

* ►October 7, 2005 - New Book Shows How U.S. Ended Up With Flu Vaccine Shortage Last Year & Why Changes Are Needed to Improve Country's Vaccination System - U.S. Newswire via Pawtucket Times - "Among the book's key lessons are that the country's vaccination standards are actually hampering the ability to garner needed vaccinations when a shortage arises. Also, Brookes points out, vaccine production capacity as well as the public's sense of the seriousness of influenza needs to dramatically increase if there ever is to be universal flu vaccination."

* ►October 7, 2005 - Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Discuss the President's Meeting with Drug Manufacturers - www.whitehouse.gov - "Obviously, our first objective will be to contain this if it occurs. We also want to stress to them the fact that this cannot simply be about preparation for H5N1. We don't know if H5N1 virus will become a pandemic, or not. What we do know is that someday there will be a pandemic. And our preparation is not adequate, and our purpose is to prepare and to be ready whenever it should come."

►October 7, 2005 - Romania isolates bird flu village - Romanian officials quarantined a Danube delta village of about 30 people Friday after three dead ducks there tested positive for bird flu -- the first such cases reported in the region. - CNN

►October 7, 2005 - Notice: Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: North-2'-Deoxy-Methanocarbathmydines as Antiviral Agents Against Poxvirus - National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

►October 7, 2005 - Antihemophilic Factor VIII Risk Assessment Model For vCJD Is Topic Of Oct. 31 Meeting - FDA Advisory Committee

►October 7, 2005 - This week in the medical journals - MedPage Today via CNN

►October 7, 2005 - Opening Wide For New Clues About Lupus - University of Rochester Medical Center via ScienceDaily

* ►October 6, 2005 - Guillain-Barré Syndrome Among Recipients of Menactra® Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine --- United States, June--July 2005 (case reports) - CDC/MMWR

►October 6, 2005 - Influenza Virus Vaccine 2005-2006 Influenza Vaccine Lot Release Status as of October 5, 2005 (update) - FDA/CBER

►October 6, 2005 - Mental Illness Behind Self-Harm Often Undiagnosed - ER staffs aren't picking up on underlying causes in young patients, study finds - HealthDay News via www.drkoop.com

* ►October 6, 2005 - Mysterious virus: legionnaires' disease - National Post via www.canada.com - " A mysterious outbreak at a nursing home that claimed 16 lives and stoked international fears about the safety of Canada's largest city was likely caused by legionnaires' disease, a form of pneumonia, public health officials said Thursday."

►October 6, 2005 - The Whoop Is Back - www.keloland.com

►October 6, 2005 - HHS to buy two anthrax drugs for testing - CIDRAP News

►October 6, 2005 - Connecticut records first death from West Nile virus since 2001 - AP via Newsday

►October 6, 2005 - Move closer to schizophrenia, autism cures - UPI via ScienceDaily

►October 6, 2005 - How many millions of us will avian flu kill? - Gavyn Davies does the maths - The Guardian, UK

►October 6, 2005 - Influenza - Unhappy rebirthday - Scientists have recreated the 1918 flu virus in order to reveal its secrets - The Economist

►October 6, 2005 - Economists say avian flu could have huge impact - USA Today

►October 6, 2005 - Scientists race to develop a vaccine against a killer flu (requires registration or subscription) - Knight Ridder Newspapers via Mercury News

►October 6, 2005 - SA university rejects micronutrients HIV/AIDS clinical trials - AngolaPress

* ►October 4, 2005 - Editor promotes updating the 2004 Bioshield law - www.newstarget.com

►October 3, 2005 - Unnecessary CT Scans Ordered Often for Pediatric Patients: Presented at ANA - Meeting of the American Neurological Association via Doctor's Guide

►September 30, 2005 - Heavy Smokers May be Less Likely to Get Alzheimer's Disease: Presented at ANA - Meeting of the American Neurological Association via Doctor's Guide

* ►September 23, 2005 - Product Approval Information - Licensing Action Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed - Aventis Pasteur Inc. Addition of a single dose vial formulation that is preservative free Approval Letter/Label - FDA/CBER

* ►September 20, 2005 - Title: In utero oral nucleic acid immunization - University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, CA) via www.pharmcast.com - "Accordingly, in one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of delivering a recombinant vector encoding a selected antigen to a fetal vertebrate subject in utero to elicit an immune response. The method comprises administering the recombinant vector orally via the amniotic fluid to the fetus, under conditions that permit the expression of the antigen, thereby eliciting an immunological response to the antigen."

* ►September 20, 2005 - Title: Vaccine compositions and methods useful in inducing immune protection against arthritogenic peptides involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis - The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►September 20, 2005 - Title: Temperature-sensitive and cold-adapted human parainfluenza virus type 2 (HPIV-2) and vaccines based on such virus - St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 20, 2005 - Title: Replicating adenovirus vectors - Duke University (Durham, NC) via www.pharmcast.com - "A further use of the inventive [E1+, 100K-] Ad vectors is in immunization strategies. An [E1+, 100K-] Ad vector that expresses an immunogenic polypeptide may be administered to a subject in vivo to produce an immune response in the subject against the immunogen."

►September 20, 2005 - Title: Methods of treating West Nile virus infection - The New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens (Flushing, NY) via www.pharmcast.com

Nothing posted October 9, 2005